I Drink, Therefore I Am: Coffee in Commack

Starbucks and similar establishments have long been popular in Commack and the surrounding areas.  (Just in case you haven’t noticed that already by the Starbucks on practically every corner.) 

Any place where you can just hang out with your favorite beverage without being bothered by waiters are popular spots for both teens and adults alike. 

Teens love it because you can buy one drink, or none, and sit there all night and chat with your buds or catch up on that pesky schoolwork that you just can’t do at home.  Adults also adore the pleasures of Starbucks for basically the same reason…plus it gets them out of the house as well.

They are simply just great places to meet up when there is no other place to go.

A centrally located Starbucks is key to a thriving social environment in any town; which is why I’m still disappointed that they nixed the Starbucks formerly located on the corner of Commack Road and Jericho Turnpike.

It had not only a plethora of paired comfy chairs but a very interesting mural on the wall that I still swear to this day had the word "Starbucks" in it.  Although it did have it's share of creepers, to whom you'd have to give a fake name and your imaginary boyfriend's occupation to just to make them go away, it was still, in my humble opinion, the best place ever.

If you went and happened to graduate around the year 2006, then you know how much of a social-hub that glorious Starbucks turned into.  As sad as it was, you could walk into that shoppe-of-coffee-wonders and see at least two current Commack students or alumni at any given time.

Nowadays, the town of Commack is split into several coffee/hangout/studying spots – the Starbucks in Elwood, the just West of Mayfair Shopping Center, the by Costco, and the Barnes and Noble by Best Buy and Chili’s.  (would have been added to this list but alas, it is .)

You may be asking yourself, which spot is the best?  It simply depends on what you’re there for.

The Starbucks in Elwood has by far the most space and the comfiest chairs of the group.  If you want to curl up in a chair and chat with some friends, or if you want to spread out at the oversized tables to do some hardcore work then this is the place for you.

In stark contrast, the does not have one chair that I would consider to be “comfy”.  The only ones that are moderately okay for your bum to rest on are located—for whatever reason—near the bathroom. The rest of this mediocre establishment is filled with those awesomely solid wooden chairs and fairly small sized tables.  It’s only selling point—it has a drive thru; which, by the way, the Starbucks in Elwood has as well.

The is most similar to that of Mayfair.  Both are similar in size and lack of comfy chairs, though I do believe this Starbucks might actually be smaller in terms of interior sitting space.  And as I remember it last time, it was quite the noisy place.  This Starbucks also has a drive thru, which makes it uber convenient for any Costco-goer to get their coffee fix. 

The Barnes and Noble is by far my least favorite place when I’m looking to actually concentrate on something, though it seems that most people usually don’t have a problem with getting work done there.  They have a ton of different-sized tables for your using pleasure, but there are just way too many people walking around to keep you focused on a high-priority task.  It is, however, a great place to grab a book or magazine off the shelf and get your read on.

So go grab your caramel macchiato, your quad venti soy latte with whip, or your good ol’ black tea with milk and find your perfect study/work/hangout spot in Commack. And of, course, share them with us.